U.S. Department of Justice

United States AttorneyDistrict of Kansas

Topeka Men Charged With Making, Possessing Pipe Bomb

TOPEKA, KANSAS – One Topeka man is charged in a federal indictment with making a pipe bomb and another is charged with possessing a pipe bomb, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Joseph E. Rogers, 35, Topeka, Kan., is charged with one count of making a destructive device. The device is described as a length of metal tubing inserted into a PVC pipe, which was then inserted into a cardboard tube. A length of pyrotechnic fuse was inserted through a hole in the wall of the pipes, and paper and lead end plugs were added along with a quantity of explosives identified as smokeless powder. The indictment says the device was capable of causing serious injury or death to persons near it if it exploded..

The crimes are alleged to have occurred Nov. 13, 2012, in Shawnee County, Kan.

If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Hathaway is prosecuting.

###

Footer

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives United States Department of Justice